It's Just a Game
by Cable796
Summary: A certain Guardian can't leave another icy spirit alone. A series of one-shots with differing settings.
1. It's Just a Game

**This is just a small drabble I wrote a while ago. Just some fluff to get all my Jelsa feels in check. **

**I don't own either characters, they're property of their respective companies.**

A smirk was present on his face. His annoying, stupid, attractive face. Leaning on his stick, the Spirit of Fun watched her with eager eyes. She continued her reading, pretending that he wasn't there.

This was a game they had been playing for a while now. She would pretend he wasn't there, he would do everything to make her acknowledge his presence. Really, it was something toddlers would do. Certainly, not two immortal spirits who had lived long past that point. Reminding herself of her upbringing, she bit the inside of her cheek. What royal would act like this?

The Queen was certain she was going to snap soon. It wasn't enough to walk the world alone ever since her death, no, fate had to further punish her by saddling her with this childish, immature boy!

A few moments of silence passed. Suddenly,something wooden and pointed jabbed into her shoulder. To her dismay and his amusement, she did jolt in surprise, but quickly composed herself. Dear gods, he was actually poking her with his stick. He would call it a staff, but for all intents and purposes, it was just a stick. Gripping the sides of her book tighter, she forced her eyes to remain straight forward and stare at the pages, although she had no idea what she was reading.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

PO- that's it! Leaping up with a shout of disdained frustration, she summoned her magic. Snow, ice, and frost alike gathered into a sphere in her palm, her pupils dilated in fury. Spirit grinned as the Wind picked him up and propelled him out of the way of the deadly blast. It wouldn't have hurt him, but, to his pleasure, dodging her blows only infuriated her more. Swooping down the frozen hallways of her castle, he ran.

Following him on foot was hard, but he purposefully let her catch up when she lagged too far behind, his gleeful laughs echoing through the corridors of the icy palace. The Spirit's cocky grin flashed in her red hued vision as he flew backwards just to mess with her even more. Lifting her arm, she forced ice into the shape of a wall right behind him.

The collision was beautiful. Snowy white hair smacked into the frozen construct and the rest of his body followed, sliding down the surface to the ground.

He groaned, rubbing the back of his head, face screwed into a pained grimace. The Spirit opened his eyes as he felt a shadow fall upon him. He wished he hadn't.

The Queen stood above him, the picture of pure, cold fury. Hands alight in magical frost, she loomed over him with murderous intentions.

He laughed.

He laughed?

Shocked, she stepped back as he hopped up. Power died on her fingers as she watched him curiously. Then, realization. He was just trying to get her to have fun. And strangely enough, she actually was finding this somewhat... enjoyable. A small smile graced her lips as she turned away and shook her head in mock exasperation.

A tap on her shoulder, she turned. The Spirit cupped her chin and his face neared hers. Startled, the Queen felt her limbs go numb and her cheeks flush at the contact. Blue irises stared into a pair that reflected his perfectly. They remained there, time frozen as the universe slowed to view the show playing before it. He did nothing else, instead just content to gaze into her eyes.

He had no idea why he had the sudden urge to do it, he just did. She didn't know why she allowed him to do it, she just did. For in his eyes, she saw blizzards and snow days, the raw cold tempered to a loving chill. In her eyes, he saw the powder of the first snow of the season and the ferocity of hail, carefully controlled to create a tundra that sheltered rather than rejected. Both were dangerous, but they viewed something in the other's eyes that was so enticing, they couldn't stop themselves from wanting it.

After what seemed like centuries loosing themselves in the other, they pulled away with embarrassed chuckles. The Spirit cleared his throat, gave a small bow to the immortal royal, and took off down the halls. No doubt, he was heading off to do his duty to the children of the world.

A shake of her head, the Queen returned to her chair and picked up the book. For a few moments, she stared at the pages, but she couldn't digest the story. Her mind was elsewhere.

It was a game they had been playing for a while now. A game where he would annoy her and she would brush him aside. They had played for such a long time, both striving to win. It was something simple, nothing of great importance. But, could something so childish evolve into something more? She pondered this as she set down the volume in her hands. Glancing at the iced floor, she was reminded of the moment they shared. Her lips perked in a small smile. Maybe, just maybe, it would not be that bad to try.

* * *

A few hours later, a whoosh accompanied the Spirit's arrival. Curiosity piqued, he stared as she stood there with a small disapproving frown, hands hidden behind her back. Slivers of panic stabbed at his being. Was she still mad? Was she going to freeze him solid?

The Queen moved and he flinched, expecting the worst. Something powdery impacted with his nose and crumbled, leaving him spluttering and wiping at his face. A snowball?

Spirit watched as she formed another one, palming it with a mischievous smirk. He grinned as he summoned one of his own. She was finally playing it his way.

After all, It was only a game. At least, for now.


	2. Match Begin!

**Okay, so I wasn't expecting the reception I got. I didn't even think I'd get a single comment. Lo an behold, I get two comments, two follows, as well as two favorites. One of these comments said that I should wrote more. Now, while I'm not turning it into a full story, I thought it wouldn't be too hard to turn it into a ****series**** of one-shots. Many thanks to trapid for the suggestion. Anyway, enough rambling!**

**I only own Cal. The other two characters are property of their original creators.**

Valentine C. Upide sat on the edge of his chaise longue, ignoring the purpose of the chair as he watched the events unfold. His small little pavilion was nestled away in the clouds, permanently following the sun setting around the earth, giving the soft fluffy things a vibrant pink tone. Greek pillars surrounded the small pool of water that he gazed into so fervently. Vines holding the finest grapes descended from from one of these pillars as he offered up a flagon and squeezed the grapes into a rich wine in his cup.

He spent most of his days watching the magical waters of his small pavilion, every romance of the world playing out before him. The term 'couch potato' was so fitting, he bragged that he invented the term to any and all visitors. Which, he rarely got. Most people assumed he didn't exist. Even his fellow spirits didn't think he was real. It was the downside of being so reclusive. But in his defense, most had treated him like a god the first time around. All that power was too much for him. So, when the original Greek civilization fell, he disappeared. Valentine did his work from home nowadays. And what kind of work it was. His vines told him when the fate of two people crossed and he gave their heart that little kick start to set off a beautiful relationship. Occasionally, he had to wait a while for the circumstances to optimize. And, every once in a while, he wasn't needed to begin a romance. The lovers did it on their own. Shaking his head of the jumbled memories and thoughts, Upide turned back to his work.

Cal (Valentine preferred his middle name) was probably the biggest gossip among all the spirits, but could you blame him? He was the spirit of love. Anything involving the heart was his business. So, right now, the plight of the Guardian of Fun was fair game to him.

Ever since he had discovered the winter teen some centuries ago, he had made it his life's work to find him someone. Yet, every time he put something in motion, it was a disaster. Valentine was the best matchmaker ever and Jack Frost was the enigma that haunted him. He had tried everything. Cal had even sent some men his way just in case his powers of telling someone's preference got it wrong.

Then, fate surprised him. Chuckling at the memory, he brushed his pristine white suit absentmindedly. For a while, Jack had found the love of his afterlife. Days spent pining for her, watching her from pine trees, following her around in her castle, playing little pranks on her that were never solved, and even going as far as kissing her forehead each time she slept. She may not have felt his lips, but she always felt something cold brush against her skin and it comforted her. It was all so romantic! Unfortunately, she was a human. A human with magical powers, yes, but a human all the same. To fall for a human was almost a mortal sin. Another chuckle at the mental pun. Oh, back then, he could barely function without knowing how Jack was pursuing her. It was almost like an addiction to watching the story play out. It was such an odd pairing, so wrong, so taboo, and just so impossible. But by the gods, oh how he shipped it. And when he shipped something, Valentine made sure every spirit knew it.

So, of course, most avoided Jack like the plague after that. He didn't really care either way. He was still too busy trying to get her to believe. It didn't work. No one had ever believed in Jack Frost before. This woman was no different. Soon, his attempts to make her see him dropped in numbers. She was a Queen and she was too occupied with running her kingdom to notice his small gestures. After a year, he gave up. Jack Frost moved on. In Valentine's valued opinion, however, he never forgot. Frost was not able to keep himself away and returned the following winter.

He came back to tragedy. His beloved human did what all mortals eventually do: she took her final breath. If it was possible to break a spirit more, Valentine had not yet seen it. He shared in Jack's tears that day. He was never supposed to get this attached to a couple, but perhaps it was because it was Jack Frost. Out of all the spirits, Jack probably deserved a happy ending the most.

So, was he surprised when he found out that Manny had a plan? Not really. If anything, he was just surprised at what the plan entailed. After two hundred years, Jack became a Guardian. No big surprise there. Kid had potential in Valentine's opinion. Whoever doubted him probably didn't know the real Jack Frost. Then again, most spirits didn't spend every moment of their immortality spying on others through a magical puddle. A few minutes ago, when Cal tuned in on one of his favorite people to watch, Jack was fulfilling his duties of bringing fun to the children of the world. His small flurries calmly fell from the mighty sky to the ground. The excited shouts of Swedish pointed to the location being somewhere in the Netherlands. Cal had watched it with a small smile before replacing it with a frown. Now, Jack's storm was getting stronger. Winds picking up, flurries growing larger by the second. Confused, he watched as Frost flew around in panicked circles, trying to reign it back in. Jack was as scared as the screams below. That's when Valentine realized something: the cold was no longer in Jack's control.

Jack scowled and took off. Obviously, Jack didn't exactly enjoy having someone screw with his powers. Especially if it endangers kids. He flew, the Wind guiding him to the only place where he could find answers. He headed for the eye of the storm. Furious clouds swirling overhead, they brought him a little more north. And both Jack and his audience of one blinked in surprise at the sight. A castle made of ice. Captivated, Valentine held his breath as Jack alighted on the threshold and pushed the door open. Air rushed by him as it gained access to the palace, sighing in satisfaction at its victory. Jack took a tentative step onward, his clutch on the staff tightening. Something about this place was familiar, yet different. When nothing happened, he shrugged and continued. Exploring the place didn't take long and he was soon at the final room to be inspected. Jack opened the door.

And nearly died a second time out of shock. It was a simple bedroom, but it was the person asleep under the covers that was the anomaly. It was her. Cal nearly fell off his seat as he gasped with indignant, yet joyful surprise. Manny had a plan alright, yet never bothered to inform him of the details.

Valentine scooted forward to get a better view of the unfolding events. Jack was frozen in his tracks, enchanted for the second time in his existence. After all he had went through, he had never imagined seeing her again.

One of Cal's plants prodded him and he ignored it. After a moment of staring, Jack felt his feet taking small steps towards the bed. Something was wrong. She was tossing and turning, mumbling in her sleep. She was having a nightmare. It would certainly explain the storm. Her powers must've been reacting to her comatose distress.

Once more, the grapevine nudged Valentine and he waved it off. Eye glued on the the water, he watched Jack he closer and closer. Finally, the Guardian was at her side. Breath quickening, he brushed a lock of platinum hair out of her face. Old habits die hard and he was no exception. He kneeled beside her, leaned forward, and pressed his lips against her cheek.

Her eyes shot open.

Feeling a vine poke his head yet again, Cal grabbed a grape from the green tendril and threw it off the side of his cloud with an annoyed grunt. With a wave of his hand, the scene in his pool changed. Standing alone in a park, a man was minding his own business before feeling something bounce off his head. Without a second thought, Valentine grabbed his bow and an arrow from the quiver leaning against a pillar. Nocking it, he grinned at the thought of new love before releasing the arrow into the clouds. Turning back to his pool, he watched as the man jolted at the feeling of being stung by a mosquito when he really was struck by an arrow made by Cupide. Seeing the woman walk up next to the man, Cal smiled again. Romance was so beautiful, he decided before loosing the next arrow into her. His work done, he checked to see if the arrow met its mark before changing the channel back to the ice castle.

When the image came through, he laughed outrageously. She had Jack Frost frozen to a wall! Oh, the irony of the situation was only lost on her, who really had no idea who he was.

* * *

She inspected his staff, glaring at him occasionally for intruding on her property as well as her personal space. After a moment of silence, she finally asked, "who are you?"

He gave a little half-grin. "Jack Frost."

She tilted an eyebrow. "You expect me to believe that?"

He tilted his head and moved his shoulders as much as he could, his free hand twirling to his palms facing up. "Maybe? Considering that's my name and all."

Her eyes narrowed. Not only does this man steal into her home like a bandit, he also refuses to tell the truth! It infuriated her. "So, _Jack Frost_," she said the name with such distaste Cal noticed, "why are you here?"

He chuckled. "Would you believe me if I told you that I was trying to see the most attractive face in existence?"

Her glare sharpened as did the grip the ice had around his ribs. He inhaled with a small hiss. "Okay! I got it!"

What little room he had grew just a bit. He gave a small sigh of relief. "I came to see what was up with the weird storms in the region. You know, you're really messing with my area."

In an instant, her whole demeanor changed. She backed away and dropped the staff in favor of unconsciously hugging herself, hands gripping her own upper arms tightly. Jack realized the exact thing he just said wrong and morosely grimaced. A small question began to spill from her. "Did... did I hurt anyone?"

He shook his head, correcting her. "It was pretty mild compared to the weather they usually see without our interference."

That earned him a tilted eyebrow. "Did you just say 'our?'"

His hand pointed at himself. "I told you before. I'm Jack Frost."

She scoffed, her hand dropping to her sides, his satisfied smile widening unnoticeably. "And I'm a troll."

He chuckled. "Look more like a spirit to me."

Her jaw dropped, perfect lips parting in shocked realization. This was the first time in centuries since she had an actual discussion with another human being. She had momentarily forgotten her situation. No living thing had seen or touched her for a very long time. At that thought, her hand came up and felt the cheek where he had kissed her. His lips had been cold, a shock to someone who usually never felt it. It was the shock of being touched that awoke her. The touch of some living, breathing boy. And he could _see_ her.

She was interrupted by something he said, she didn't catch it. "Sorry, what did you say?"

He sighed, still smiling that stupid grin. "I said, 'do you want me to prove who I am?' If so, give me my staff."

For a moment, silence reigned as she stared at him with disbelief. What really made her decision for her was his eyes. There was just this spark of joy and a bit of hope there that reminded her a lot of the people she missed. Bending over, she retrieved the staff, stood, and placed it in his palm.

With a smirk, he pointed it at the ice trapping his body and shot a blast of cold blue art it, freezing her ice to the point of cracking. A light tap from his wooden crook and it shattered. Now free, he let the wind pick him up and hovered in front of her before letting loose a small storm of flurries in the room. He looked at her to find her starring in awe at him.

He bowed in midair. "Jack Frost at your service, your highness."

Landing, he took a step forward. "We have much to discuss, Queen Elsa of Arrendelle."

* * *

Cal sighed wistfully at the pair, waving his hand and clearing the pool to give their next discussion some privacy. It was going to be a new relationship dynamic for the both of them and it was only going to get more complicated than what it used to be. And they haven't even gotten to the point of needing his arrows yet!

But hey, that's what love is. Love is a complex game with each person playing on the global board. Every move is a long and frustrating dance of playing with hearts. Some lose, some win, and he was the referee who watches it all go down smoothly as possible.

And with these two players, he had a lot of work ahead of him.


	3. Of Avatars and Bets

**Hey guys! Got a new one- shot, this time featuring a more modern AU. I love doing them, but I rarely think of ones on my own. Please feel free to suggest different AU's and I'll see what I can do! Anyway, enjoy a gamer AU one-shot and see if you can spot all the cameos.**

**All characters are property of their creators. I own Death Tales II.**

FrostByte trudged through the Swamps of Hopelessness, spear and shield drawn. He was surrounded on all sides by the enemy. They were well hidden, but he could tell they were pissed. After all, he had been holding the Golden Orb the longest and none had taken it from him.

An orc broke through the bushes and suddenly rushed him with his axe swinging. A successfully executed block with a shield and a quick stab was the end of it. FrostByte had lived through another battle, but had no time to catch his breath as two elves dropped from the trees, one firing arrows and the other slinging knives. Again, his shield provided adequate protection as he threw his spear and impaled the archer to a tree. The knife-thrower looked at her friend's body in confusion, too distracted to notice her opponent rolling forward and slamming his shield into her left kneecap. Downed, the last thing she saw was an armored boot coming down on her face. FrostByte grinned as he retrieved his weapon. No one could stop him today. Sounds of cracking foliage caught his attention. He turned to meet a squad of five.

The leader was a human cleric, one hand clutching a rapier and the other wielding magical fire. At his back, two tanks of men stood, each wielding claymores longer than their own height. A dwarven shaman perched proudly atop his bear shook his staff and started muttering protective incantations while an elf wizard brought up the rear, her spell book already poised to heal her comrades. FrostByte simply planted his spear in the ground and made a rude gesture.

The cleric and his two warriors began running toward him. Unearthing his weapon, he waited for them to get closer. Just as he was to be hit by a thrown firebolt, he sidestepped and began to wait once more. The trio bearing down on him, he stiffened and jumped over them with three blades stabbed the air he just occupied. FrostByte hit the ground running, only laughing at the shouts of outrage behind him. The shaman and his bear roared in tandem and stampeded to meet him. Listening for the running footsteps behind him, Frost broke into a full sprint. As the beast and its rider reared in preparation to trample him, his spear tapped the ground and ice formed all around them. Dropping to a slide, he slipped through the legs of the beast as it tripped and barreled into the dwarf's allies. Getting to his feet, he looked back to see the dwarf struggling to get his mount off the three men. That left their poor little wizard all alone. He turned to the elf, striding forward as she stepped back, her face twisted in fear. A beam of magic shot from his speartip and froze her solid. Without their healer, they would go down quickly.

A stream of fire narrowly missed his head by a centimeter, so he ducked and spinner around to plant his shield in front of him to hold off the next magical onslaught. Through the flame, he saw the warriors trying to flank him as their leader rode behind the shaman on the beast. What an amateur move.

Two bolts shot from his spear iced the paths of the flankers, sending them sprawling again. Their moves hindered, he ran to the left. Avoiding the fire was tricky, but not a big enough challenge for FrostByte. Within moments, he felled the warrior stumbling into his path. Some sixth sense told him to move, and he rolled out of a claymore's path. As the remaining warrior fervently attempted to dislodge his giant sword from its dirt scabbard, FrostByte sliced his neck. The second giant fell to the ground, lifeless.

And then there were two. FrostByte spun to grin cheekily at them. With a roar, the bear charged as the shaman and cleric atop its back flung spells. That's when FrostByte did something crazy: he unstrapped his shield and threw it at the creature's legs.

Tripping over it, the bear tumbled forward onto its back, throwing the cleric from his perch. The dwarf was not as lucky. Without any time to scream, the small man was crushed under his own mount. That left only the cleric.

Not bothering to try to retrieve his shield from under the fallen beast, FrostByte tightened his grip on his spear and faced his last opposition. The cleric got to his feet, dusted himself off, and flourished his rapier. FrostByte simply held out a hand and beckoned him forward.

With a battle cry, the cleric rushed him and stabbed forward, FrostByte parrying with the long hilt of his spear. Ducking under a slash, he received a flaming punch in the gut for his troubles. He paid the cleric in kind by kicking him in the shin which gifted him a pained grunt. FrostByte used his the end of his hilt to strike upwards and connecting with the cleric's chin. When the cleric stumbled back, he thrusted the spear forward...

* * *

"Yes! Suck it losers!"

The cry of victory echoed in the small bedroom of Jack Frost, his laughs earning him a thump from the wall. It was his little sister, annoyed with his volume again. With a roll of his eyes, he turned his attention back to his computer screen as his avatar held the Golden Orb in a post-match animation. His smirk only grew as the voices on his headset gave a menagerie of mixed reactions.

"Oh, come on! I had you that time!"

He replied with a voice practically dripping with his proud smirk. "Uh-huh, sure you did. This is what? Fifth time in a row I took you all on?"

The voice of the cleric,'HansOffLadiez', quieted in a seething silence that came with a hurt pride as a more feminine voice took over.

"Oh c'mon, Hans. If it hadnae been for Snotbrain, we'd have had the bugger." That was MerriDaArcher, the elf he had taken care of early on.

"Hey! I thought I could take him by surprise!" 'SnotLoot, more recognized by the nickname of Snotbrain, was probably the only one who thought his axe-swinging orc was stealthy.

Jack Frost just chuckled as the shaman, HiccupzALot, put in his two cents. "Snot, we've been over this. Stick to the battle plan! I'm still short of that new Dragon mount because of you!"

"Your plans suck, cuz!" Jack cocked his head in momentary confusion. He often forgot Snot and Hiccupz were cousins. It was probably the stark contrast of their personalities that messed him up.

Just as Jack was about to speak, another of his online friends butted in. "That ice magic is seriously over-powered."

Jack only gave a short laugh in retort. "Ha! This coming from the girl who is always stabbing backs rather than fighting up front!"

AnnnnA the knife thrower giggled. "Only teasing you, Frost."

He smirked. Anna was the only one of them who made their real life name insanely obvious. And here she was, mocking him? It took two to tango like that. "And here I thought you liked me better."

The mock hurt and slight innuendo was enough to make her splutter. "I do like you! But not like that! I mean, like you're a brother or something. Maybe a really good friend! Unless that's what you're implying, because then-"

She was cut off by one of the warriors. "He's messing with you, Anna. He's a trickster. Right, Frost?"

Jack leaned back and cupped his hands behind his head. "Call me Loki."

The same warrior snorted. "Yeah, right. And I'm Thor."

"You're blond enough, Kris. Just got to grow it out." Kristoff was the only one of them that knew him in real life and had even chosen his online name to go along with his. FrostByte and Iceman were pretty much inseparable on the virtual battlefields.

"Excuse me, but I think my hair would beat his any day," LadyPunz stated.

Her boyfriend, the other warrior of the group, chuckled. RogueRyder and LadyPunz were the cutest couple Jack had ever seen. Well, 'seen' was a figurative term in this case. More like 'interacted on a daily basis without ever actually knowing what they looked like.'

Suddenly, a knock on his door interrupted his socializing. With a quick, "I'll be back," Jack took off his headset and maneuvered around the war zone he called a room. He opened the door to see his mother waiting there with a smile. Okay, that was unnerving. His mother only ever smiled that way when she thought she had something that have her an advantage over him. "Your tutor's here."

Oh. That. "It's Tuesday already?"

"Yup. Get your butt downstairs."

With a long, exaggerated, exasperated sigh, Jack walked to his laptop and gave a quick update. "Gotta go, guys. It's Tuesday."

Ryder chuckled. "Let me know if your streak continues!"

"Of course!" Jack had a habit of unnerving the old fogeys and currently had a seven-week streak of them quitting after only one session, earning him a new face each week.

"Huh, that's a weird coincidence. My sister-" He didn't hear the rest of Anna's comment as he powered the computer down and closed it. With a sigh, he picked it up and headed down. His mother was currently regaling his new tutor with the tale of why he needed one in the first place in the foyer, which gave him enough time to grab a drink from the fridge before going in. Truthfully, Jack Frost was a great student. Honor role while balancing two AP classes as well as volunteering at the Guardian Children's Hospital. All in all, he was great. So what panicked his mom to the point of getting him extra-curricular schooling?

One word: Cardiomyopathy. In other words, heart trouble. Jack Frost, the guy so charismatic you would never guess that the real reason he was absent the first half of the semester was because he was waiting for a heart transplant. His near-death experience was just that, an experience. Did it change much? Not really. If anything, it just showed him who his real friends were. While he was always popular, not many actually interacted with him. The only people to visit him were the guys from his volunteer work and Kris. Even his online friends were worried about him enough to find out his address from Kris and send cards. Surprisingly, they all lived relatively near and would've come to visit if Jack himself hadn't forced them to adhere to Rule Number One: no real life meet-ups on purpose.

Honestly, he just didn't want to meet them in a hospital gown.

Popping the top on his soda, he sipped while entering the foyer and almost did that spit-take thing he saw on tv. A girl stood there, facing his mom. Not just any girl, a platinum-haired angel disguised in white jeans, a blue tee, and a purple sweater. Her presence calmly commanded respect while her posture gave off an air of almost regality. She was definitely not someone you wanted to mess with, yet her eyes shone with a strange cold. Not a harsh sleet, more of a welcoming flurry. Not even realizing the red spotting his cheeks, he retreated to the hall. He needed to get into clothes better than his old hoodie. But it was too late. "Jack! Where are you going?"

Curse the otherworldly powers of a mother! He groaned inaudibly as he forced a fake smile and backed up. Sheepishly, he stepped through the door. "Forgot my pencil was in my pocket."

The girl cocked an eyebrow as she stared at him, his cheeks turning even redder. His mother noticed and grinned. "Jack, this is Elsa. She's going to be your tutor."

So that's why his mother thought she had one-upped him. She got him a tutor who put him in his place just by looking at him. It didn't help that the young woman seemed to be the same age as him. Elsa stretched out her hand and he took it rather tenderly for a simple handshake. When she spoke, he had to stop himself from visibly shivering. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Ditto." He internally flinched at his casual tone. Such a great start. At least she smiled, her hand raising to adjust the messenger bag around her shoulder.

His mother clapped her hands, breaking the spell Elsa had over him. "I'll leave you to it. That table is perfect for your work and just shout if you need anything!"

And with that, they were alone. Jack's hand gripped his laptop harder while his other rested in his hoodie pocket. Elsa walked over to the aforementioned table and sat, retrieving a few things from her satchel. He followed and sat next to her, gingerly placing his computer to the side. She spoke first. "So, are you ready?"

"Sure." He decided to speak less than usual to make himself look less foolish. So far, it was working.

"So your mom tells me that it's your algebra that needs work."

He winced. "Sorta."

She raised an eyebrow and waited calmly. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "When I first got back, we had a substitute and she made me take a test because the computer didn't read my hospitalization as absences. So..."

Elsa connected the dots and nodded. "You flunked?"

"Yup, bringing my GPA down a full point."

"Yikes."

"Mom panicked and here we are." He pulled a pencil from his pocket and began tapping it against the tabletop.

She looked at him with those blue eyes of hers and he almost melted. "She said I'm not your first tutor."

"Yeah, all the others were these adults. They just assumed I was some slackers without even getting to know why I was in this situation. So, I usually made a bet with them."

"A bet?"

He nodded, the pencil ceasing its tapping. "If I won, they quit being my tutor."

He could see the curiosity on her face. She was tempted to ask, but didn't. With a sigh, he explained. "I let them give me any problem that they thought I couldn't solve with my slackerish ways as long as it was within the range of something I was supposed to already have learned."

"If you're so confident, why aren't you offering it to me?"

"Did I say that I didn't need help with stuff I don't know?"

She smiled in understanding. Encouraged, he grinned as he went on. "Plus, it wouldn't be fair to make you quit. They were jerks."

"And I'm not?"

He shook his head. Elsa smiled coyly and offered another question. "How can you be so sure?"

"I'm good with these kind of things."

She laughed and he joined her. After a few moments, they agreed to get to work. For about an hour, it was strictly business as they worked on his figures and the difference between sine, cosine, and tangent. By the time the second hour rolled around, they found out that they both favored the color blue, albeit he preferred the darker shades while she loved the light. He found out she wanted to be a teacher and she discovered his dream of writing children's books. Schoolwork forgotten, they found themselves talking about anything and everything. They both loved winter. She liked Shakespearean sonnets while he preferred freeform poetry. Jack loved vanilla and Elsa loved chocolate even more, but both agreed that both were quite a combination to enjoy.

Suddenly, Jack got really quiet. He realized that they might as well kiss this whole charade of being only tutor and client goodbye. His eyes flicked to his laptop and an idea struck. Grinning slyly, he said, "so, about those bets..."

Confused, she stared at him. "What about them?"

"I don't think it's fair to you of I didn't give you the option as well."

Elsa laughed as she started packing away their work. "Really? Well then, I better consider it."

He leaned back, finger tapping the computer. "But this time, I changed the stakes. If I win a round of my favorite game, you have dinner with me on Friday."

She stared at him, shocked for a brief moment before returning his sly grin. "You a want me to play a video game against you?"

"Not necessarily. Just go out with me if I win."

She giggled as she shook her head. "And if you lose?"

Jack smirked as he opened the computer and went to the home screen of Death Tales II, his character greeting him. "I won't lose."

"Cocky, aren't we?"

"Maybe. So, what do you say," he asked with an offered hand.

Elsa stopped and considered it for a moment. Her eyes flicked towards his screen, then to him. Finally, she nodded and shook his hand. "Alright, FrostByte."

"Hey! It's a good alias!" He clicked his mouse and began setting up a match.

"Whatever you say, Jack. Hey, as long as you're playing that, mind if I work on something?" She took out her laptop and a power cord. "My battery is acting up, so it needs to be plugged in constantly."

"Sure. Power outlet's right there." He nodded to the wall in front of them. Jack was slightly disappointed that she wasn't going to bother watching him. Then again, she's probably not that into video games, so it would've bored her just watching him beat everyone on the screen. She smiled at him and switched seats to face him, her power cord not long enough to reach the other side of the table. He joined in on his friends waiting for the next round of one life, thirty player free-for-all. He explained to his buddies that he couldn't use his mike right now over the chatbox and watched for the final slot to be filled. Then, suddenly a name appeared in the spot and he grinned while he cracked his knuckles. FrozenQueen would be going down with the rest of them.

Then, the round began.

* * *

FrostByte spawned in the southeastern corner of the Obsidian Forest arena. Immediately, he ran west. It was a rookie tactic to head for the center of the virtual battlefield, so he would cut off any newbs heading north. An effective strategy, he cut down two players within the first minute and earned the first kill bonus. The kill notifications popped up in the center of the screen followed by three that surprised him. That FrozenQueen chick just took out not only Punzie, but Ryder and some other random player. Weird.

Frost paid it no heed as he reached the western border and stumbled across HiccupzALot on his brand spanking new dragon be felled by an arrow shot by MerriDaArcher. With a throw of his spear, he took her down. Jack chuckled at the angry rant she must be spewing and was grateful he wasn't using his headset. Eight notifications followed. Must've been a slaughterhouse in the center, he mused as he grabbed the spear. The roster was cut in half already.

Jack guided his character into the brush and begrudgingly trudged northeast, knowing that any remaining players would head to the center to pick off the rest of the newbs. A war cry rung out to his right and Snot trampled out of the foliage with his axe raised. Jack chuckled as he sidestepped and watched the orc avatar stampede into a pitfall trap. The death notification for those dumb enough to be killed by the weakly hidden traps were especially welcome. FrostByte continued on.

Within moments, he was in sight of a clearing. He ducked behind a tree and waited. Sure enough, six avatars stepped into the clearing from different directions and charged each other. Hans and Anna were working together and it was apparent as the fire spells downed two players and the knives kept the others at a distance. Then, Iceman dropped from above and demolished one guy by landing on him and sliced the other in half with his claymore. Jack silently cheered the three on, watching three more notifications pop up, all victims of FrozenQueen.

Then, Hans did the unthinkable. He stands Anna in the back, literally. Jack winced in sympathy. Hans was ruthless online. He dreaded to think of what he would be like in real life. Kris immediately turned on the cleric and the battle that ensued was short, Iceman emerging the victor.

Another notification popped up, the killer appearing in the clearing and rushing Kris. FrostBite had enough hiding and Jack guided him to run and impale the thief. Jack chuckled as Iceman did a congratulatory thumbs-up in thanks for saving him. Then, a blade tip burst from Iceman's chest and his body fell to reveal the last remaining player: FrozenQueen.

She was a thief with a hood dark enough to obscure her species, her long white braid flowing out of it and shifting in the wind. Her dual knives glinted as she slowly circled him. Oh, this was going to be a challenge.

FrostByte rushed her, speartip spewing ice magic. She jumped over him in an almost casual manner before trying to stab him. He blocked it with his shield and ducked as the other one sliced around it. FrozenQueen hopped back as he attempted to bash her with his weapon's hilt. What followed was an intricate dance of death, both dodging as the other attacked. Soon, Jack was getting desperate. He began attacking more haphazardly, barely missing her blades.

Frustrated, he threw his shield at her and knocked her off her feet. He rushed her while she was down and brought his spear over his head to stab down, only to be kicked in the chest as she jumped up. Her blades flashed and FrostByte's spear was knocked from his grip, his hands frozen in ice. Someone using winter magic? That was his thing!

He barely registered the knife flying through the air until it impaled his knee and forced him to kneel.

FrozenQueen strode forward as Jack tried every spell he had, her own magic making his attempts futile. He began mashing the "despell" button, but to no avail. FrozenQueen stood above him, looking every bit a royal about to knight a subject favored.

Then, she shoved the knife into his throat.

* * *

Jack's mouth dropped in shock. He was beaten. It wasn't possible. But, it happened.

He frowned. Not only did he lose the match, but the bet as well. With a sigh, he turned the computer around to show Elsa his name under FrozenQueen's. "I lost."

She closed her laptop and leaned forward to look at it. "So, I win the bet?"

He nodded. She grinned slyly and brought her hands to rest her chin on them. Staring at his downtrodden face, she spoke. "It's just a game."

Jack slumped back while running his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, but it wasn't losing that disappoints me so much as the prize."

"Well, it's my prize now, right?"

His eyes widened. He never gave her terms for his defeat. She could take anything as her prize because he was foolish enough to leave it open. Jack swallowed the small lump in his throat. "Right."

She looked up at the ceiling in mock thought before snapping her fingers. "I got it! Sorry, but no date on Friday for you."

Her subsequent laughter made him smile. It wasn't malicious, more like teasing. He nodded. It wouldn't be so bad. After all, he still had her as a tutor. Elsa leaned forward, suddenly very serious. She whispered, "but, pick me up at 8:00 on Saturday."

His jaw dropped again, his flabbergasted expression enough to make her snicker as she packed up. "You're serious?"

"Yup."

She headed out of the foyer and he followed her to the door. Opening it for her, he paused. "You don't have to do it out of pity or anything."

With a small grin, she shook her head and walked through. "Don't try backing out of it. I won and I'm claiming my prize."

She halted at her car and looked at him waiting at the door. "Besides, it's been a while since I've had fun like this. But!"

Elsa brought up a finger. "Next tutoring session is going to be on how to fight better, FrostByte. Your shieldwork is sloppy."

Surprised, he stared at her as she entered he car before calling, "FrozenQueen?"

With a nod and a wave, she drove off. And that's when Jack Frost realized he was in love.


End file.
